Blueberries and Roses

Today, Zach is 7 weeks old. Breastfeeding is going very well, and he is getting really big. It's hard to believe that he was this tiny little thing not long ago. And he's only going to get bigger of course.

At the end of the month, Zach has his 2-month appointment (and I am pretty sure some shots are on the schedule) and Gabe has his 3 year appointment. Gabe was seeing a Dr. on the eastside, but we decided that it was way too long of a trip, especially with 2 kids, so we switched to a practice that is a lot closer (and they have a pediatric urgent care, too).

This past weekend was for parties and sickness. Gabe had his birthday party on May 28 and it went really well. The two Saturdays after that, two of his friends also had birthday parties. So, yesterday morning he woke up sick. He had a fever all day and vomited once. But the fever didn't go past 101.9 (it hovered at 101.5 all day) and this morning it broke. He is feeling much better now, but I am keeping an eye on him. Here is a pic post-illness.



We have four blueberry bushes that I am eagerly awaiting to see ripped fruit from. The bushes are pretty big, about as tall as me! There are a couple of rogue branches that need to be cut, but the fruit is coming in nicely.



The rose bushes have also bloomed really well, too.





With the baby, we don't have much going on right now. In late June, we're taking Gabe to Hood River, Ore. to see Thomas the Train. He is obsessed with Thomas. We think he will be really excited be able to ride on a life-sized replica of Thomas. There will be other activities, too. Hopefully, Zach can make it there and back ok. He is still in that phase where he doesn't quite know what is going on when we put him in the car seat, so he sometimes cries (well, most times). Hopefully, a hearty feeding before we leave here will allow him to sleep most of the way (it's only a little less than an hour away) and and the same deal on the way back.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Zachary Quinn Brewster is here!

He was born April 25 at 6:11 a.m, 7 lbs, 15 oz. Everything went really smooth, my midwife was the BEST.

I got acupressure done on Saturday to help jumpstart labor, not really thinking it would do anything. Well, the contractions started Sunday morning and by around 2am Monday, if I had any military secrets, I would have been ready to talk (stole that joke from the Golden Girls).

Got to the hospital at 4 a.m, was 7 cm dilated, had Zach at 6 a.m. The last couple of days, Gabe has not napped at all but I can tell he is tired. Too much excitement I think, but it is impacting his attitude at the end of the day (like lack of sleep would for us all, right?). Today, we finally got him settled and he went to sleep around 2:50 and is still sleep now at 4:24. Other than that, he loves his little brother and likes to rub his head.

Acupressure, Easter Egg Hunt

Today, I am 39 weeks. So I went to get acupressure done this afternoon to hopefully jumpstart labor. I went to Pilcher Bodyworks, a young lady (her name is Paula) who did a great therapeutic pregnancy massage for me a few weeks back. There are pressure points in your ankles and feet that stimulate the uterus and pituitary gland that can induce labor, if you body is ready. If not (unless a woman has a history of pre-term labor, then this is not a good thing to do), then it won't happen.

So, I got it done and it was kind of relaxing. The pressure points were really tender, and the pathways were easy to open, so Paula doesn't think I will go past my due date at all and it could happen within the next few days. She has had three birth this past week that she predicted pretty well, so we shall see.

My midwife said they don't really start talking induction until the 41st week and that is just a suggestion. They also do tests to make sure the placenta is still working well. However, by the 42nd week, the baby has to get out of there.

We took Gabe to an Easter Egg Hunt at a church nearby and he had fun. Here are a few photos.








That bunny didn't look right, but Gabe was
cool, lol. Although, I've seen more
menacing bunnies.

37 weeks tomorrow

I'm in the home stretch now! Gabe was born at a little over 38 weeks, so I am bit nervous to think I could possibly go into labor in a week and a half. I am hoping that the baby is born a bit closer to the due date (April 30), but of course, we can't control these things.

I had my last prenatal on April 1 and my midwife was comfortable enough to let me go another two weeks before my next appointment, with the caveat that I call if anything comes up. After that, its weekly visits. Did I say I totally love my midwife? She is so laid back, yet very conscientious. This weekend, I have to get my hospital bag packed. We also have some painting to get done to two rooms that we'd like done hopefully on the 16th and getting the playroom finally set up (we have everything except a new rug we are expecting today in fact).

Then we'd like to start planning a small birthday party for Gabe in late May. I keep thinking I am crazy for wanting to do this when I might be a few weeks out from giving birth. But he has a few friends now to invite and it would be nice for him to have some fun in the midst of all the attention the new baby will get. So it's still on. My mom will be here, too, that will help. I just want to have things planned and set to go, since we really only have a few weeks to get invites out so we can know who can come. I'm trying not to stress about it.

Anyway, I'm not doing much. I feel bad for Gabe, since the weather is getting better (little by little). My mind would love for us to go out and soak up the sunshine (on days when we it's not wet and rainy) but my body is like, "um, we're preparing to give birth, so you need to chill." LOL. I am trying to pay more attention to my body, keeping track of movements and any contractions (haven't had any that I can feel so far). The baby is still very active, so I think we have a little ways to go (I hear they slow down movement before birth). I guess. LOL.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Busy, busy, busy

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. We've had a lot going on with prepping for the baby's arrival, decorating the playroom (formerly the dining room) and getting Gabe's new room together.

Gabe is getting a new bed and we want to make it fun for him to sleep in. He really likes Dr. Seuss, particularly The Cat in the Hat, so we got Dr. Seuss/Cat themed sheets. We also purchased a new dresser for him to match that I picked out from Ikea. Here are some pics of him helping Craig put it together and one pic of the finished product:










We're also planning on painting his bedroom and the playroom, plus an accent wall in our bedroom. We will show the playroom when it's done, we've put a lot effort into it.

At the end of the month, Craig has a two-day conference in Seattle for his job, so we are going to make a trip out of it. We hope to visit some of Craig's family, if possible. Craig's Uncle Mark is having a birthday party the weekend before the conference, so we are making it out to that. Gabe has never been to Seattle so it should be fun. The hotel we are staying at is pretty next door to Pike Place Market, so that will be nice to take Gabe to during the day (in his stroller of course; gets pretty crowded there) and get some walking in for me. We will take some pics and put it on the blog.

I am 33 weeks and things are going well. It seems that just getting up, getting Gabe and myself both ready for the day, and making breakfast tires me out, seriously! I really miss being able to pick Gabe up, playing wild with him on the floor and other things that just aren't physically possible with a baby bump. I do what I can. Also, my mom's group has volunteered to organize a meal drop-off for myself and another member whose baby is due in April during the first few weeks after giving birth. I thought that was super thoughtful and really appreciate it.

I also want to have a birthday party for Gabe at the end of May. He hasn't really had a "real" birthday party (with friends and a theme, etc.) and since he now has several friends he can invite, I'd like him to have some fun this year. Now, since the baby will be just a few weeks old, this will not be a super complicated affair and will be short (two hours total, three year olds get bored fast). There are some fairly inexpensive venues around here that even include play areas. So if we can choose a venue (preferably with a play area) and establish a theme (Dr. Seuss is a strong contender), it will just be fun themed decor, cake, food/drink (pizza most likely), one theme related game (that either Craig or one of the Grandmas can lead, yes? My mom will be here during that time), and then some unstructured play, that would be great.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Children and Emotions

Just read this really great piece from The Natural Child Project website called, "Emotions are not bad behavior."

She points out that children's "acting out" behavior is an indirect way of getting attention that they learn from their parents/caregivers. Naturally, children are open and direct. But if they are made to feel that they shouldn't ask for things, whether it's a hug, sympathy or just to be noticed, we've taught them to ask in other ways, i.e., "acting out." Hunts says that children who are denied attention for long periods of time end up never getting their fill, so there is the constant cycle of the the child having behavior problems and the parent constantly being vexed.

Then she goes on to list "empathy blockers". These are evasive tactics we parents use, many times inadvertently, to avoid dealing with our children's emotions. Check out the list and, I gotta tell you, we've ALL done at least one of these. One example is downplaying, saying, "Don't cry, it's not that bad." Seems like a perfectly harmless statement, but the goal is to change how the child is feeling, rather than letting them progress through their emotions and telling you how they feel and why.

Craig and I try to parent this way, but it's difficult in this culture. What I like to keep in mind, is that you will never do things perfectly every time. But be ready to apologize to your child, if you do make a mistake. It will also teach them to be ready to apologize to others when they make mistakes, too.

Anyway, I love this site. It has a lot of good information on childrearing with their main focus being respect of the child.

Luthisa Mayes 1921-2011

My maternal grandmother, Luthisa Mayes, passed away a few days ago. While she had tons of pictures of Gabe and had one video chat with him we unfortunately never got the chance to visit in person since he has been born. Ugh.

It has been two years since her son, my uncle, died from cancer and I don't think she ever really got over that. It is hard to lose a child at any age. Plus, she had a lot of health issues. But she lived a great life; 89 years ain't too shabby, is it? She was an awesome homemaker, raised five children and enjoyed tons of grands and great-grands AND great-great grands. She was kind of quiet-mannered, but did not have any problems speaking her mind (just ask my grandpa).

Both her and my grandfather (who is 95) were in a nursing home and he seems to be doing okay, I am told. I think he just needs a LOT love and affection, and I anticipate that in the future everyone will find time to visit him so that he gets a least one visitor per day.

So I am very sad, but happy that she is in a better place and not in pain anymore.